Feeling the PRESSURE of virtual training delivery? So were we!

For many of you reading this, you have been delivering classroom based training for years. You know what works, you know how to read a room, and you have a sixth sense about the energy in the room and level of engagement. You know who needs more time to reflect and who needs to share. It is these instincts and strengths that make you a great trainer and gives you the confidence to deliver a learner centric program. It is because of these strengths that most of us feel a little (or a lot) anxious when asked to facilitate a training program virtually – especially one that we love delivering in-person. This is exactly how we felt here at IHHP. After writing the New York Times bestselling book Performing Under Pressure, we knew we were experiencing a pressure moment, which has three defining characteristics:

1) The outcome is important to us.
2) The outcome is uncertain.
3) We are responsible for and are being judged on the outcome.

Our flagship program, The Science of Emotional Intelligence (EI), is incredibly important to IHHP’s success. More significantly, it is important to our ELT’s who have been working so hard to weave the EI leanings into the DNA of their organizations cultures. We definitely felt the pressure of uncertainty because we knew we had a classroom based training formula that worked and were feeling uncertain about how to recreate that winning formula virtually. Finally, the reality is we are being judged by the success of the outcome. It was a pressure moment that we couldn’t change. What we could change was where we put our focus and how we were approaching the situation. This is cognitive reappraisal, one of our pressure solutions.

Here is how we faced the pressure of developing a virtually lead EI program. We stopped focusing on all of the difficulties in repurposing the classroom program to a virtual led program and instead looked at it as an opportunity to maximize the footprint of the EI learning to people who might otherwise never have exposure to this type of personal and professional development. In a virtual format all that is required is a computer. There are no travel costs, people spend less time “out of the office”, they have more time to practice and apply their learnings between the virtual modules. We realized this was our opportunity to powerfully and positively impact more people’s lives allowing them to better manage the pervasive pressure of today.

With this new approach in mind, we partnered with expert designers to help us. We’ve also integrated all of the latest and greatest virtual interaction tools available to us today:

We’ve chosen a platform that has a huge band width of support tools to ensure maximum technology comfort. WebEx Interactive Learning

And finally, we’ve updated and designed the facilitator guides and support documentation to ensure maximum comfort and confidence is experienced by each trainer delivering this material. We have provided tips and techniques on how to use those same “trainer-instincts” that work so well in the classroom and leverage them in a virtual setting. When you are interested in learning how to take the EI experience deeper and wider across your organization reach out to us at IHHP and we would be happy to take you through a short demonstration of the program.

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Performing Under Pressure: The Science of Doing Your Best When it Matters MostOur New York Times Bestseller provides readers with the techniques and tools to overcome the sabotaging effects of pressure. Purchase your copy today!

ABOUT IHHP

IHHP is a research-based training company and has been a leader in Emotional Intelligence for over twenty years.

We build integrated programs with training, assessments and coaching based on neuroscience for real change. We translate the science behind managing emotions and teach people the skills to summon their best selves and do their best work during moments of truth.